(2 John 1:1 ESV) - Voice of the Lord

(2 John 1:1 ESV) "The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth,"

I've been on a voyage of discovery since coming to the Lord. One area where I've learned a great deal is in the area of "family". I never really got a sense of family until the Lord invited me to join His. Now, what I'm learning is basically re-writing what I know about family...............both with my earthly family and my heavenly one.

John's statement speaks to the connectedness of the Lord's Family.................how if one of us loves someone, that love should be shared by other members of the Family. John has extended his love to this unnamed lady and her children.......thousands of years ago.............and because I'm in the Family, I extend my love to them also even though by now they have gone on to be with the Lord.

Death doesn't stop the love John is speaking about..........it only magnifies it. When I go on to my reward I will join the Family gathering at the old Home Place. I'll see brothers and sisters there who I've read about in the Bible........I'll see brothers and sisters there from my congregation and others throughout the world............and we'll all be connected together by the Love of Jesus Christ, the Head of this great Family.

And I can only begin to imagine how glorious that reunion will be. Paul said......."For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:14-19 ESV)

That account certainly gets me excited. And I have only my limited understanding of the glory of that time to go on. I'm sure there are many things that I will experience that my mind can't begin to imagine.

David gives me a tantalizing look, though, at what this wondrous event will be like in Psalm 29............."The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, 'Glory!'" (Psalms 29:9 ESV) The Voice of the Lord will call all of us in the Family together to celebrate for all eternity.

Love in Jesus,

Jim

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"But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired." (1 Corinthians 12:18 NASB)

"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission."

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This devotional was originally posted on CCI-Devo - Daily Group Devotionals on September 7, 2004 in post #643. It was written by Jim Ross, a former United Pentecostal Church member, who attends Christian Challenge International, the sponsor of the devotional group. The devotional is the copyright of Jim Ross and is reprinted on this site by permission.

Page added July 30, 2005

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